Learn a Lesson from the Rechabites
1 When Jehoiakim was king of Judah, the Lord told me, 2 “Go to the Rechabite clan and invite them to meet you in one of the side rooms of the temple. When they arrive, offer them a drink of wine.”
3 So I went to Jaazaniah, the leader of the clan, and I invited him and all the men of his clan. 4 I brought them into the temple courtyard and took them upstairs to a room belonging to the prophets who were followers of Hanan son of Igdaliah. It was next to a room belonging to some of the officials, and that room was over the one belonging to Maaseiah, a priest who was one of the high officials in the temple.
5 I set out some large bowls full of wine together with some cups, and then I said to the Rechabites, “Have some wine!”
6 But they answered:
No! The ancestor of our clan, Jonadab son of Rechab, made a rule that we must obey. He said, “Don't ever drink wine 7 or build houses or plant crops and vineyards. Instead, you must always live in tents and move from place to place. If you obey this command, you will live a long time.”
8-10 Our clan has always obeyed Jonadab's command. To this very day, we and our wives and sons and daughters don't drink wine or build houses or plant vineyards or crops. And we have lived in tents, 11 except now we have to live inside Jerusalem because Nebuchadnezzar has taken over the countryside with his army from Babylonia and Syria.
12-13 Then the Lord told me to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, want you to learn a lesson 14 from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me! 15 You refused to listen to my prophets, who kept telling you, “Stop doing evil and worshiping other gods! Start obeying the Lord, and he will let you live in this land he gave your ancestors.”
16 The Rechabites have obeyed the command of their ancestor Jonadab, but you have not obeyed me, 17 your God. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I warned you about the terrible things that would happen to you if you did not listen to me. But you have ignored me, so now disaster will strike you. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Makes a Promise to the Rechabites
18 Then the Lord told me to say to the Rechabite clan:
“I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You have obeyed your ancestor Jonadab, 19 so I promise that your clan will be my servants and will never die out.”
Ovarekabi tava ningi oshihopaenenwa shaJuda
1 Pomafiku aJehoiakim yaJosia, ohamba yaJuda, ondjovo ya dja kOmwene, oya hanga Jeremia, tai ti: 2 “Inda ko kOvarekabi, ove u popye navo, ove u va ete motembeli yOmwene okedimo limwe lonhumba, ove u va pe omaviinyu okunwa.” 3 Opo nee ame onda kufa Jaasanja yaJeremia yaHabasinja novamwaina novana novakwapata aveshe Ovarekabi, 4 ndele ame onde va twala kotembeli yOmwene omedimo lovana vaHanan yaJigdalja, omulumenhu waKalunga, edimo la shaama nedimo lovakulunhu, kombada yedimo laMaasea yaSallum, omukeleli woposhivelo. 5 Ndele ovana vomepata lOvarekabi onde va dikila oitoo yomaviinyu i yadi, nomaholo, ndele nde va lombwela: “Nweni omaviinyu. 6 Ndelenee vo ova nyamukula tava ti: Ahowe, fye ihatu nu omaviinyu, osheshi Jonadab, omona waRekab, tatekulu, okwe tu lombwela ta ti: Nye novana veni kaleni ihamu nu omaviinyu fiyo alushe, 7 inamu tunga eengulu ile inamu kuna ombuto ile inamu twika oikokola yomiviinyu, nye inamu kala nayo. Ndelenee nye omu nokukala momatwali omafiku eni aeshe, opo mu kale nomwenyo mule moshilongo omo tamu ka kala mo ovaendanandjila. 8 Ndele fye otwa dulika kondaka yatate Jonadab, omona waRekab koinima aishe ye e i tu lombwela, fye ihatu nu omaviinyu momafiku etu aeshe, ofye vene novakainhu vetu novana vetu ovamati novana vetu oukadona. 9 Ndele fye itatu tungu eengulu tu kale mo, osho yo katu noikokola yomiviinyu ile omapya nombuto; 10 ndele otwa kala momatwali ndele twa dulika notwa ninga naanaa ngaashi tate Jonadab e tu lombwela.” 11 Ndelenee opa ningwa, Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, eshi a homona oshilongo, otwa popya ndele hatu ti: Fikameni, tu yeni kuJerusalem, fye tu ye oita yOvakaldea noita yOvaarami onhapo. Osho ngaha fye otwa kala muJerusalem.
12 Opo nee ondjovo ei yOmwene oya hanga Jeremia tai ti: 13 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti ngaha: Inda u ka lombwele ovalumenhu vomuJuda noonakukalamo muJerusalem u tye: Nye inamu hala okudulika kouteku wange, nye mu ude eendjovo dange, Omwene ta ti? 14 Eendjovo daJonadab yaRekab e di lombwela ovana vaye nokutya, vaha nwe omaviinyu, ove di diinina, vo inava nwa omaviinyu fiyo onena, ndelenee ova dulika koshipango shaxekulu. Ndelenee Ame onde mu lombwela efimbo alishe, ndelenee nye inamu uda nge. 15 Ndele Ame inandi fya ounye oku mu tumina ovapiya vange ovaxunganeki efimbo alishe, vo va tye: Lialulukeni, keshe umwe kondjila yaye ii, nye mu wapaleke oilonga yeni, ndele inamu shikula oikalunga, mu i longele, opo nee nye tamu ka kala medu leni nde li mu pa, onye nooxokulu. Ndelenee nye inamu pwilikina nomatwi eni inamu ameka kwaame. 16 Heeno, oludalo laJonadab yaRekab la wanifa oshipango shaxekulu, e shi va lombwela, ndelenee ovanhu ava ihava udu nge. 17 Onghee hano Omwene, Kalunga komatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti: “Tala, kombada yoonakukalamo muJuda nomuJerusalem ohandi tumu oiponga ei aishe nde i va lombwela; osheshi Ame onde va lombwela, ndele vo inava hala okuuda nge, ndele Ame onde va ifana, ndelenee vo inava itavela nge.” 18 Ndele Jeremia okwa lombwela epata lOvarekabi, ndele ta ti: Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti: “Nye eshi mwa dulika koshipango shaxokulu Jonadab, ndele mwa diinina oipango yaye aishe, nomwa wanifa aishe ei ye e mu lombwela, 19 onghee hano Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti: Mepata laJonadab, omona waRekab itamu ka pumba omulumenhu ou ta ka kala ofika koshipala shange fiyo alushe.”
